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Round of drinks
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A round of drinks is a set of alcoholic beverages purchased by one person in a group for that complete group. The purchaser buys the round of drinks as a single order at the bar. In many places it is customary for people to take turns buying rounds.[1][2]
It is a nearly ubiquitous custom in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. In Australia and New Zealand it is referred to as shouting.[3] This practice is also customary in many parts of North America, especially in areas where people with cultural roots in Ireland and the UK predominate. A notable exception was the UK State Management Scheme in which treating (i.e. buying a round) was forbidden, from July 1916 until June 1919.
Greaves' Rules
[edit]Greaves' Rules is a set of etiquette guidelines common in the UK for buying rounds of drinks in English public houses. The rules were first defined by William Greaves (April 1938 - November 2017), a London journalist of the defunct Today newspaper as a Saturday morning essay in the paper, based upon his long experience of pubs and rounds.[4][5] They immediately attracted a wide following in drinking circles and are known internationally as a representation of the spirit of drinking in an English pub.[6]
When an individual arrives at a pub, common practice invites the newcomer to unilaterally offer a drink to a companion, with the unspoken understanding that when the drink has been nearly consumed, his/her companion will reciprocate. Trust and fair play are the root of the rules, though there are occasions (such as a requirement of one of the drinkers to need to carry out more important jobs, if any can be conceived of) where the rules can be broken, and were itemised by Greaves in his article. See, for example a copy of Greaves' Rules in the Oxford Pub Guide, with particular reference to rule 7 and especially rule 8.[7]
Greaves' Rules is a lighthearted set of rules governing whose turn it is to buy a round of drinks in a British public house. The rules were first published as a Saturday essay in the now defunct Today newspaper but were later re-commissioned by the Daily Telegraph and published in that newspaper on 20 November 1993. Copies of the rules soon appeared in many bars throughout the UK and are now known internationally as a representation of the spirit of drinking in a British pub.
Kate Fox, a social anthropologist came up with a similar idea in her book Watching the English, but concluded their rationale was the need to minimise the possibility of violence between drinking companions.[8]
Australia
[edit]Shout (noun and verb), in Australia, New Zealand, and England, refers to an act of spontaneous giving. Its primary use is in pub culture, where one person in a group elects to pay for a round of drinks for that group. It may be that person's polite way of leaving the group to go elsewhere. In John O'Grady's They're a Weird Mob, Nino learns some customs related to shouting.
Your turn.
- What is my turn?
Your turn to shout
- Why should I shout?
Because I shouted you.
- I did not hear you shout at me.
He thought for a while and said, I get it. When you buy a bloke a beer, it's called a shout, see?
- Why is that?
I haven't a clue, but that's what it's called. I shouted for you, now it's your turn to shout for me.
- I was only a little thirsty. I do not think I wish another drink.
He looked quite stern, In this country, if you want to keep out of trouble, you always return a shout, see?
- Is this the custom?
Bloody oath, it's the custom. Your turn.
In Australian culture one person shouts the first round, then each in turn is expected to shout the next or if they wish to stop drinking the shout the round without buying themselves a drink. This is the sequence described in the Industrial Relations Court of Australia during the Garsid v Hazeltin Air Services(1997).[9]
Other uses
[edit]By extension, shouting can refer to paying for another person's purchase;[10] something they have chosen or will choose for themselves, as distinct from a gift or present. Typical constructions are:
- "My shout", perhaps to expedite a minor transaction, as when paying for a shared meal.[11]
- "I'll shout you to the pictures"; "I'll shout you a new dress"[12]
- "He shouted her to a slap-up meal"[13]
Historically, the term "shout" was used by Rolf Boldrewood in A Colonial Reformer (1877), Henry Lawson in his poem "The Glass on the Bar" (1890), Jack Moses in Beyond the City Gates (1923) and Dal Stivens in The Courtship of Uncle Henry (1946).[14]
United States
[edit]In the culture of the United States Military, possession of a challenge coin can be used to determine who buys a round of drinks.[citation needed] One individual of a group lays down their coin, and all else present must lay down their coins as well. Anyone who does not have a coin with them must buy a round. If everyone can produce a coin, the challenger must buy a round.
References
[edit]- ^ SIRC
- ^ Round Rules
- ^ "Shouting". australianbeers.com. Retrieved 2009-02-26.
- ^ William Greaves (3 September 2010). "Pub Talk". Gentlemen Ranters (162). Retrieved 15 May 2011.
- ^ "Pub Etiquette". Sunriseag.net. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
- ^ "Предприятия питания в Великобритании". www.ducland.ru. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
- ^ "Greaves' Rules".
- ^ "Watching the English - The hidden rules of English behaviour". Sirc.org. 2004-04-22. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
- ^ "Garside v Hazelton Air Services Pty Ltd [1997] IRCA 119 (9 April 1997)". Industrial Relations Court of Australia. 4 August 2009.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ^ W. S. Ramson, ed. (1988). Oxford Australian National Dictionary. Oxford University Press. p. 589. ISBN 0195547365.
- ^ "Frith Up Front". The Canberra Times. Vol. 70, no. 21, 902. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 5 April 1995. p. 2. Retrieved 13 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Macquarie Encyclopedic Dictionary (2nd ed.). Australia's Heritage. 2011. ISBN 9781876429218.
- ^ "Given position in office, but…". The News (Adelaide). Vol. 57, no. 8, 824. South Australia. 19 November 1951. p. 7. Retrieved 13 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Wilkes, G. A. (1978). A Dictionary of Australian Colloquialisms. Sydney: Sydney University Press. pp. 296–297. ISBN 0-424-00034-2. OCLC 4200276.
Further reading
[edit]- Gutfeld, Greg. Lessons from the Land of Pork Scratchings, London: Simon and Schuster, 2008. ISBN 978-1-84737-066-2
Round of drinks
View on GrokipediaDefinition and History
Definition
A round of drinks is a social custom practiced primarily in bars and pubs, where members of a group take turns purchasing beverages for everyone present, thereby promoting a sense of equality and shared camaraderie among participants. This ritual involves one individual at a time approaching the bar to order and pay for drinks for the entire group, rather than each person buying their own, and it applies to both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. The practice fosters reciprocity, as each participant is expected to contribute in subsequent turns without overt demands or pressure, creating an informal cycle of mutual generosity.[4][2] Key elements of the custom include the sequential rotation of buyers, often determined by the order of arrival or a casual agreement, and the flexibility in drink selection—such as ordering the same beverage for all or accommodating reasonable individual preferences within the group's budget. For instance, in informal gatherings like after-work drinks, a participant might buy a round of beers or sodas for colleagues, ensuring no one feels singled out or overburdened. This structure underscores the custom's role in building group cohesion, as opting out without reciprocating can signal social disconnection. The expectation of fairness is implicit, with rounds continuing until the group disperses or a natural endpoint is reached.[5][6] The custom emerged from longstanding British pub culture, where it has served as a foundational aspect of social drinking since at least the early 20th century, though its roots likely extend further into traditional tavern practices. While regional variations influence specifics—such as differing norms in Australia compared to the United States—the core mechanics of turn-taking and collective purchasing remain consistent worldwide where the practice is observed.[2][4]Origins and Evolution
The practice of buying rounds of drinks, often referred to as "treating" in historical contexts, traces its roots to 17th- and 18th-century British pub traditions, where communal purchasing fostered social bonds among patrons. By the 18th and 19th centuries, pubs served as central hubs for working-class communities amid industrialization, doubling as spaces for conversation and mutual support.[7][8] In parallel, the custom emerged in 19th-century American saloon culture, influenced by British immigrant traditions and the era's honor-based hospitality codes. Saloons functioned as working-class social centers, where "treating"—taking turns buying rounds—was a key element of camaraderie and gentlemanly etiquette, helping to build trust among laborers, businessmen, and frontiersmen in urban and rural settings alike. Temperance movements in both Britain and the United States, peaking in the mid-19th century, critiqued such practices for encouraging overconsumption, yet they persisted as markers of community solidarity.[9][10] The 20th century saw the custom spread through British migration to colonies like Australia, where it evolved into the local term "shouting," emphasizing mateship in pub settings by the early 1900s. World War I marked a key milestone in Britain, with government bans on treating imposed to curb wartime drinking among munitions workers, temporarily disrupting the practice in controlled pubs but underscoring its deep entrenchment.[11][12][13] Post-World War II globalization, facilitated by military deployments and increased international travel, further disseminated the custom beyond Anglophone cultures, embedding it in expatriate and tourist social norms. By the 1970s, it solidified as a team-building ritual in emerging office cultures, particularly in Britain and Australia, where after-work pub sessions promoted workplace cohesion amid rising white-collar employment. Late-20th-century cultural shifts toward inclusivity transformed the practice from its male-dominated origins, incorporating women into mixed-group rounds as gender roles evolved and non-alcoholic options gained prominence to accommodate diverse preferences and health awareness.[2][14]Rules and Etiquette
General Principles
The practice of buying rounds of drinks is fundamentally rooted in the principle of equality, where participants take turns purchasing beverages for the entire group to ensure fair contribution over the course of the gathering.[15] This reciprocal system promotes a sense of shared responsibility, allowing costs to even out naturally without the need for precise accounting, though it requires participants to remain aware of the rotation to avoid imbalances.[16] Generosity plays a central role, but it is expressed modestly—such as covering an occasional drink for a friend in temporary financial difficulty—rather than through extravagant displays that could pressure others.[16] Additionally, hosts or organizers must consider group size and individual affordability to prevent exclusion, opting for venues or drink selections that accommodate varying budgets.[15] Basic etiquette emphasizes respectful participation, including the option to decline a round politely when necessary, such as for designated drivers who are typically exempt from buying but may receive subsidized non-alcoholic options.[15] When purchasing, individuals should aim to match the type or approximate value of drinks ordered by others, avoiding selections that significantly exceed the group's average cost—ideally not more than twice the cheapest drink—to maintain harmony.[17] Rounds often conclude after a predetermined number of turns or when the group signals readiness to end, typically observed through cues like nearing-empty glasses, ensuring the practice remains flexible rather than rigid.[16] Socially, the round-buying tradition fosters trust and reciprocity by reinforcing group bonds through mutual obligation, turning a simple transaction into a ritual of camaraderie.[18] Common faux pas, such as skipping one's turn or over-ordering to inflate costs, undermine this dynamic and can lead to social exclusion, as they violate the unspoken expectation of equitable involvement.[17] Late arrivals, for instance, are expected to insert themselves into the rotation promptly by offering the next round.[15] Inclusivity is integral, with etiquette encouraging accommodations for dietary restrictions, non-alcoholic preferences, or slower drinking paces through options like soft drinks, smaller servings, or shared pitchers, ensuring all members feel included without pressure to conform.[16] While these principles are broadly universal, variations exist regionally, such as stricter enforcement of turns in Australian pub culture.[15]Specific Guidelines
Specific guidelines for buying rounds of drinks often emerge as formalized or semi-official codes to ensure fairness and maintain the social flow in group settings, particularly in British pub culture. One of the most notable examples is Greaves' Rules, a humorous set of 10 guidelines devised in the 1980s by William Greaves, a London-based journalist and pub enthusiast.[19] These rules codify turn-taking etiquette, prohibit skipping rounds, and impose playful penalties for infractions such as requiring the offender to buy the next full round. Originally drawn from Greaves' extensive experience in English public houses, the rules were later republished in media outlets like the Daily Telegraph, gaining traction as a lighthearted reference for pub-goers.[20] The full list of Greaves' Rules, as documented in pub etiquette guides, emphasizes structured reciprocity while allowing for practical exceptions:- The first person to enter the pub declares, "Now then, what are we having?" and buys the initial round, establishing themselves as the temporary "chair." For example, this prevents any awkward standoff at the bar.
- The chair remains in control until their glass is about half empty, at which point another participant may call for the next round to keep the momentum.
- Anyone can initiate a subsequent round by asking, "The same again?" ensuring no one monopolizes the buying sequence.
- Participation is mandatory for all present, irrespective of gender, age, or social status, to uphold equality—e.g., a newcomer cannot opt out without buying their own drinks separately.
- Late arrivals are formally invited to join by the chair; if met with silence, they are considered excluded from the round, avoiding unsolicited inclusions.
- Those claiming to "pop in for one" but ordering multiple drinks for themselves must buy the next full round as a penalty, deterring freeloaders.
- Anyone departing without having bought a round must either appoint themselves the next opener or initiate a "breakaway round" upon return, such as covering the group after a brief absence.
- Early leavers who haven't contributed follow the same provisions as in Rule 7, with social reminders to settle up before exiting.
- An empty glass signals the need for a new round immediately, but not necessarily by its owner, to prevent exploitation—e.g., the person next in sequence might step up.
- Local variations, such as including unusual participants like a pub dog in certain regions, must be honored if locally customary, adding a layer of regional flavor.